This invention relates to camping equipment and more particularly, to cots which may be disassembled into a small lightweight package. While the invention is described in particular detail with respect to use in a camping environment, those skilled in the art will recognize the wider applicability of the inventive principles disclosed hereinafter.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Portable cots have been known for many years. The typical light weight camp cot includes a rectangular body or frame supporting a sheet; the body typically including a pair of long opposed side rails and a pair of opposed end rails which together the side rails support the sheet.
There are prior art constructions that have been developed in an attempt to fashion a low-cost cot design which will support the user properly, and yet can be disassembled and carried in a compact package between cot setups. Conventionally, the side rails of the cot are formed in two pieces, which are disassembled or folded for transporting the cot. In prior some prior art designs, the end rails themselves were detachable from the side rails for a similar purpose.
Because a certain portions of the supporting frame were detachable from others, it was not unusual for the end user to lose or misplace portions of the supporting frame over time, making the cot nonfunctional. The removal of the end rails each time the cot is folded and their replacement when the cot is extended constitutes an objectionable operation even if the end rails are available. One solution to the problem presented when portions of the cot are detachable from other members of the cot structure is address in co pending Application Number PCT/US2009/050130 assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. While various aspects of that Application works well for its intended purpose, the construction and design of the cot provides a somewhat more difficult procedure for assembling and disassembling the cot described hereinafter, particularly when only one person is available to assemble the cot for use and latter disassemble or fold the cot for transportation or storage.
There are cots which have end rails comprising sections centrally hinged for folding movement. The present disclosure utilizes an improved hinge construction which is simple to manufacture and utilize with a simplified attachment to the end rails of the cot construction. The central hinge of the present disclosure is designed so that the weight of a use of the cot exerts forces which act to improve the stability of the frame structure, a result not seen in prior art devices.
The embodiment disclosed hereinafter provides a simple mechanism for cot set up, while maintaining the end rails connected to other frame members, so that the end rails cannot be misplaced, while the entire structure of the cot is still foldable into a compact package for transportation.